. >> why did lawmakers decide it was best to delay having to debate raising the debt ceiling? >> well, it was a decision by house republican leaders a few weeks ago. they tried in 2011 to use the debt limit as a lynch -- leverage point to force obama to swallow spending u cuts. it worked but -- [inaudible] to something like 9%. and they recognize that it was a bad idea. i mean, gambling with the credit of the united it turned out is a bad idea. we were downgraded for the first time in nation's history. they department want to do that again. like i said, i didn't want to vote for a bigger national debt either. that doesn't fit with their philosophy. they came up with the strategy of saying we're going us is fend. and in the meantime, they want the senate to pass a budget for 2014 and the law salses that -- says that if either chamber fails to adopt a budget by april 15, the paychecks will be docked. the idea of the thing is to postpone the sort of economy raddling default situation until they can prosecute the continuing fight over taxes and spending to a point where, you know,